India's new crypto KYC rules: What's changing?
India just rolled out much tougher KYC rules for crypto exchanges, already in effect by January 2026.
Now, if you want to use these platforms, you'll need to verify your identity with a live selfie (yep, with liveness detection tech), plus share your PAN card, another government ID, and even your location and IP address.
It's all about stopping deepfakes and making sure users are who they say they are.
More checks for high-risk users
There's extra scrutiny for high-risk clients—think politicians or organizations from flagged countries—who'll have to update their KYC every six months instead of once a year.
Everyone also gets their bank account verified through a tiny "penny-drop" transaction during sign-up.
No more anonymous trading tricks
Exchanges now have to block mixers, tumblers, and anonymity-enhancing tokens that help people trade anonymously.
They're also being told to discourage new coin launches (ICOs).
All this is meant to bring Indian crypto in line with global standards—and make it harder for shady stuff to slip through.